 wickedpete (517), Lexington Park, Maryland, USA
Apr 5, 2008
Big thanks to Mike for this one. Bottle #257. Dark black color with a frothy tan head that leaves bubble lacing on the glass. Chalky roasted chocolate aroma with light smoke, floral hops, and licorice in the background. Flavor is wonderfully roasted, smoky, piny bitter, and ashy finish. Very nice and tasty but not overly impressive or unique.
rallison (37), USA
Jul 23, 2008 Thank you Carlos for opening this one (after so many previous attempts at making this tasting happen!).
Great pour with a great, lasting head on this beauty.
Delicious grapefruit/citrus bitterness is still a large component of this beer, despite the bottle having some age on it. I’ve had hoppy imperial stouts before (Rogue, Victory, etc), but none that came off so citrusy....an interesting choice and one that I find to work extremely well. Great roast character with complementing dark chocolate and a lingering bitterness. Light alcohol presence on the end. Some dark fruits seem to be present as well - specifically raisins.
Huge body with medium to low carbonation - very suitable. Rich and nicely coating.
Excellent beer. Very unique (and this is not an easy thing to be in the RIS category) with the delicious citric hop presence. I’d take a keg of this ;)
doubleo (682), San Diego, California, USA
Jul 19, 2008 Bottle #556 big thanks to Hophead84 also badbeer and ketchepillar. Pours dark brown with a moderate sized light brown head, specks of lace. Smells dark and roasty malty with a good bit of spicy hops as well. Tastes about the same as it smells. Dark and roasty malts with a building and then overpowering spicy hoppiness. The roastiness and the hop flavors linger. A bit hoppy astringent as well. Full body, vibrant carbonation.
badbeer (392), Iowa, USA
Jul 5, 2008 2006 Version, on-tap. Pours out completely black into its very own Darkness glass. Dark brown head that lasts throughout and leaves about an inch of lacing at the top; pretty amazing for such a big stout. Smell is predominantly hoppy. Filled with aromas of citrus with hints of coffee and cocoa hidden almost entirely behind the hops. Taste has citrus hops dominating, and there isn’t much of a roasty flavor until the finish. Carbonation was medium and mouthfeel is incredibly thick, but very nice. A joy to drink, but this is more of a sipper.
On a side note, I’ve had IPA’s that aren’t nearly as hoppy as this, and wouldn’t mind getting to see the malty side of this beer that is hidden behind the hops. A very awesome beer, that would probably be better if the malt was allowed to shine a bit more. Great job Surly, this one is worth seeking out.
pint_size (1002), Austin, Texas, USA
Jun 4, 2008 Updated: Jun 11, 20085-23-08 bottle shared by Miketd - the bestest guy in the world
Thick black pour with super creamy tan beige head. Spotted lacing. Smell is tobacco, meat, smoke, sweet malt, and hops. Flavor is nice malt and good hops are very present. Bold and surprisingly hoppy. Flavor actually gets better the more you drink. My tongue just begins to crave it. Mouthfeel is milder than I imagined - not super thick or creamy or oily. No present alcohol. Great hops presence - a wonderful balance. I heart Mikey!!
Ibrew2or3 (1633), Safety Harbor, Florida, USA
Jun 2, 2008 750mL bottle number 176 acquired via a trade with the generous OSLO, thanks buddy.
Pours deep darkness with frothy creamy and bubbly mocha head. The aroma is mild with an above average load of pine hops mixing with roasty malts, a firm background of chocolate, musty dirty wood notes and mild alcohol warming on the tip of the nose. A creamy decadent mouthfeel ushers in the same notes picked up in the aroma with pine hop bitterness, rich creamy dark chocolate, dark roasty to burnt malts and rich dark fruity esters of sweet berries and faint tart berry fruitiness. Wow. The pine hop bitterness grows some into the finish to a decent level for the style but providing some balance to the rich roasty sweet malt goodness.
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